Plush toys have been a well known and popular type of doll and toy figure for many years. Such plush toys vary in appearance, however, all generally include a body formed of a soft resilient padded material upon which an outer skin or covering has been applied. Such plush toys have, for example, been provided in human-like appearances as well as animal-like appearances and fanciful cartoon like characters or the like. Not surprisingly, practitioners in the art have endeavored through a great variety of features to enhance the play value and amusement value of plush toys. While substantial effort has been directed to the external appearance of such plush toys to make them more interesting and attractive, other enhancements have been more substantial and have involved features of the toy itself. One popular enhancement which has enjoyed long term success is the introduction and addition of sound-producing mechanisms within the plush toy. Early sound-producing mechanisms were largely mechanical, often resembling simplified miniaturized phonograph players. Subsequently developed sound-producing systems exhibited greater sophistication utilizing recently developed electronic sound-producing circuits. Another enhancement often provided to improve plush toy appeal has been the inclusion of movement apparatus. Typically, such movement apparatus involved the use of relatively rigid skeletal members within the plush figure coupled to some source of power. While many such plush toys utilize spring-powered wind-up sources of power, most modern plush toys employ a battery-powered electric motor combination to move skeletal component within the soft plush body.
Unfortunately, while such features have improved and enhanced the appeal of plush toys, they are often subject to limitations in performance. One limitation which has arisen is the tendency for movement mechanisms to restrict or limit the posture changing capability of the toy. In addition, the movement mechanisms utilized in plush toys have often exhibited a fragile character and are easily broken when handled roughly or mishandled by child users. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,514 issued to Lacombe, et al. sets forth a GIFT WITH PERSONALIZED AUDIO MESSAGE formed of a stuffed teddy bear housing a control system which enables the playing of a prerecorded message. A microphone is coupled to the main control system and provides a recording as well as play feature for the toy. A plurality of switches are supported within the toy body which actuate the control mechanism when squeezed by the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,647 issued to Shaw sets forth a SOFT TOY CONTAINING SOUNDING DEVICE which may, for example, resemble an animal such as a teddy bear or the like and which includes a plurality of electric contacts disposed in spaced apart regions of the toy exterior. An electrically operated device for producing a sound is supported within the toy and operatively coupled to the contact pairs. The contact pairs when touched by the user enable the sound-producing apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,236 issued to Berliner, et al. sets forth a DOLL WITH SENSING SWITCH having a soft plush body within which a flexible sensor is captured. Pressure applied to the soft body actuates the flexible sensor and enables a responsive device within the toy body to respond.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,726 issued to Fujimaki sets forth ANIMAL TOYS capable of electrically producing sound and/or body movements. The toys are switched on and off by a pair of spaced apart electrical contacts disposed on a body surface of the toy.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,449 issued to Handy, et al. sets forth an APPENDAGE MOTION RESPONSIVE DOLL having a body including a torso within which a sound-producing apparatus is supported. An arm appendage supports an elongated flexible bend sensor which is operatively coupled to the sound-producing unit and which activates the sound-producing unit when the arm appendage is stressed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,464 issued to Stern, et al. sets forth a TOUCH-RESPONSIVE ANIMATED TOY FIGURE having a rigid internal skeleton supporting a head and mouth upon which a padded plush body is secured. A motor drive mechanism articulates the head and mouth of the toy. A touch-responsive switch is positioned in the body of the animal figure and actuates the motor mechanism when touched by the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,886 issued to Wood, et al. sets forth a MULTIPLE ACTION PLUSH TOY having a four-legged plush toy body within which a sound-producing apparatus is disposed. A light producing mechanism is supported within one of the front appendages of the toy body and is actuated by squeezing the appendage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,231 issued to Leyser sets forth a TACTILE AUDIO STUFFED ANIMAL FIGURINE resembling a teddy bear within which an audio recorder and player is supported. The device includes a plurality of different materials with each material corresponding to a particular portion of the body to allow dressing and undressing of the figure for learning purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,726 issued to Cohen sets forth an ANIMATED SITTING AND STANDING SANTA CHARACTER having a base supporting a chair upon which a movable figure resembling Santa Claus is supported. The figure is provided with an operative mechanism which facilitates sitting or standing by the Santa figure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,871 issued to Noto sets forth a TOY FOR CONVEYING PERSONALIZED MESSAGE between a sender and a recipient. The toy includes a plush body within which a battery-powered cassette recorder and player is supported. The sender records a personalized message and thereafter transfers the toy to the recipient who then plays the recorded message.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,428 issued to Curran sets forth an INTERACTIVE TALKING TOY having a doll body within which a sound recording and play mechanism is operated. The recording mechanism includes a plurality of predetermined responses which are utilized by the sound system to simulate a responsive interactive conversation within the child user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,653 issued to McKeefery sets forth a SPEAKING TOY DOLL which responds with spoken words and/or sentences to the touching of selected portions of the doll by the child user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,225 issued to Satoh, et al. sets forth an INTERACTIVE TOY FIGURE WITH SOUND-ACTIVATED AND PRESSURE-ACTIVATED SWITCHES having a body generally resembling a kitten within which a movement mechanism operates the kitten's tail in response to sound or pressure upon the kitten's body.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have to some extent improved the art and in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved, interesting and amusing plush toys.